Monkey Master and the Vampire Slayer
by MacMan3679
Summary: After, the loss of Angel, Buffy's cousin Ron Stoppable, comes to visit for the summer. Will he be able to help his cousin accept what happened, while they combat an ancient evil, and a nuisance? *I do not own Kim Possible or Buffy the Vampire Slayer* SUSPENDED Until I finish Chains of the Maelstrom, Part 1.
1. Welcome to Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale Train Station, 3rd of June, 11:15 pm

In the town of Sunnyvale, California, a breeze gusts through the parking lot of Sunnyvale's Grand Central station. The wind is warm with the night being a balmy 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The wind blows west, as a Honda Civic pulls into the train station parking lot following the direction of the wind. Moments later walking from the direction of the car, two high school girls, who could not have been more different walk briskly towards the front entrance of the station.

"So, why didn't your cousin come here during the day, Buffy," asked the pretty but mousy red headed nerd girl?

The tall, beautiful valley girl, rolled her eyes, and replied, "I told you, Willow, he and his best friend had to complete a mission, before he could leave for summer vacation."

The first girl nodded her head, as if she was just reconfirming past information, her name was Willow Rosenberg, an intelligent, shy young woman, who was an extreme introvert most of her life has just recently learned how stand up for herself. "I heard you the first time, but what kind of teenager has to go on 'missions' before going on summer break?"

Buffy grins and replies, "What kind of teenager, has to fight supernatural monsters in a town literally sitting over the gates of Hell?"

Willow blushed at her friend's verbal volley, "Touché," she said. "How long has it been since you've last saw your cousin?"

Buffy Summers, former stuck up Valley girl, current Vampire Slayer of Sunnyvale smiled fondly. "Hanukah of my Freshman year in high school, it was just before I became a Slayer. My mom's sister is his mom, we went to his hometown for the holiday, he was still in the eighth grade." Buffy's smile faded, as she turned with tears in her eyes, to see Willow watching her. "I was a bit like Cordy back then, although I was more the dumb-blonde oblivious type, than the bitchy type, at least that was how I wanted the world to see me. He was one of the few people I let see the real me, the Buffy you guys see. The one that cares and is actually worth something." Suddenly images of Angel flooded Buffy's mind, as she remembered him before he became Angelus, and before he was sucked into the rift. Buffy swayed a little as the images showered her with intense anger and grief.

Willow placed her hand on her best friend's shoulder to steady her. "You alright, Buffy?"

Buffy put her hand on Willow's hand, while shaking her head. "I'm fine," she said a little too up beat, "just haven't slept much recently. Been having nightmares every time I go to sleep."

"Nightmares or nightmare," Willow asked?

"It's just a dream, Willow, nothing to worry about."

This late at night the station was all but deserted, not more than a dozen people occupied the area. The station was nothing special, its walls were whitewashed with six or seven columns evenly spaced. Twelve benches grouped in square sets of four evenly spaced in a 50 by 30 by 20-foot common area. There were kiosks along the walls where one could buy tickets or get lockers. On the side, Buffy and Willow entered was a huge desk, where two indifferent security officers sat, watching television or reading a book.

Outside another set doors, were the train tracks of the Amtrak Line, the moment Buffy and Willow entered they could hear a repeated bell clanging. This was the signal that the train they were waiting on was pulling into the station. Many of the people in the terminal began to wander over to the train entrance. As Buffy and her friend got closer, most of them began eyeing them up and down, while Buffy was used to it from men, she saw some of the women doing the same thing. In fact, the looks were not that of admirers, she had seen that look before, on her own face whenever she was in a restaurant with mirrors. It was the look she got, whenever she was admiring a good steak, or latte.

Out of instincts born two and a half years of fighting, Buffy grabbed Willows hand sharply, giving her a look. They were about to be lunch specials for blood-suckers. At least, that is what the Damned that were attempting to surround them probably thought, right before the vampire slayer launched a back kick, right into the huge breasts of an attractive female vampire. While shoving Willow behind her and trying to keep herself between them and her friend.

Nobody noticed the door to the train tracks opening and closing. Because, just as it did four of the vamps lunged at her hoping to overwhelm her. Instead of meeting the charge head on, Buffy dodged, and jumped taking Willow with her, as her friend shrieked, they landed a good ten feet back from where they were. "Call Xander and Giles, tell them to get here as soon as they can, I'm going to buy us some time and keep them busy."

"Buffy," Willow said, "be careful, don't let them surround you."

The Slayer nodded curtly before literally jumping into the fray. _I hope he takes his time getting his luggage, don't want to lose anybody else, I care about._ As she landed, she allowed her momentum to push her into a crouch, with just enough left to spin in a full circle toppling four of her would be assailants. She bounded back into a small hop and landed feet first on top of one of the vamps, before bounding forward into a knee right into Big Boob's face breaking her nose. Buffy let a slight smile of feminine pride cross her face when that happened, before getting back to business.

Buffy silently cursed herself for leaving her stakes and crosses in the car, she fought with speed, precision and skill but the numbers were beginning to become a factor. They began to push Buffy back, landing strikes more often, now she was on the defensive, blocking and dodging more often the striking and kicking. Finally, Buffy found herself pushed back into a wall. She could not see past some of the tallest of the assailants, and as they drew close, she closed her eyes. Out of nowhere, there was a commotion that started in the back of the pack. The sound of impacts, surprised hisses, and thuds as bodies impacted walls. Buffy opened her eyes and saw a man moving through the vamps, like they were tissue paper. His strikes seemed to knock them back ten feet, his kicks were even more powerful. He laid about him with precise, deadly attacks, one attack leading to another, but what was really unnerving was the manner, in which he moved.

He was almost a blur, pulling attacks from angles, that did not seem possible. By this time, he had reached Buffy's position and stood between the vamps and her assailants. He was finally able to push them back, long enough to turn around and face Buffy. His lips curled into a goofy grin, and when she saw him, her eyes widened because she would know that face anywhere. He was average height, lean but muscular, Buffy noticed it because, the black turtleneck he wore fit him snuggly. The olive-green cargo pants he wore, held up by a belt and suspenders, was also a perfect fit, he wore a pair of work gloves, and on his feet, were in a pair of combat boots. Buffy noticed all of that peripherally because she focused on his face, one she had not seen in three years. His hair was a messy golden-wheat color, on both cheeks two sets of three freckles were configured in a triangle, the side of his head sported a pair of large ears. The only unusual feature were his eyes, instead of their normal color, they glowed a brilliant, sky-blue.

"Hey, BA," he said, casually, "what's happening here, and what are these things, they look human but they're not?"

Buffy regained her composure, "Hey, Ronnie, to answer your question, they're vampires," he looked, at her in shock for a moment, before she smiled, "welcome to Sunnyvale, cuz."

He looked over at the creatures who were getting to their feet, they did not even look bruised, _no blood flow, so of course there won't be any bruises._ He reached back and helped her to her feet. "I saw the beginning of the fight, and the way you fought was badical, care to fill me in on what you've been doing the last three years?"

Buffy gave him a mischievous smile, "I could ask the same of you, Ronnie, you got some bon-diggity moves and abilities too." She pursed her lips and continued, "Bottom-line, I'm a vampire slayer and it's my duty to fight and kill… er, destroy these things."

Ron nodded as he listened to his cousin, talk about something he always thought was fiction. "Okay, how do we take 'em out?"

"As luck would have it, fiction got it right for once, holy symbols and holy water, repel and burn them respectively, wooden stakes, decapitation, fire and sunlight kill… er, destroy them," Buffy informed him. "Unfortunately, I left my stakes in the car." She added still berating herself, _note to self, don't go anywhere at night without your damn vamp kit._

They moved out away from the wall, back to back subconsciously reading each other's intent like they had been partners for years, instead of minutes. They made it next to one of the twelve benches. "I know where we can get some stakes," they declared in unison. As they both turned as one chopped, punched and kicked the bench to pieces. The slats of wood in the bench were quite robust, they rendered it down to kindling in seconds. Buffy and Ron both wielded a pair of jagged, long, wooden stakes, and dropped into aggressive fighting stances.

Suddenly, Ron rushed forward and threw one of his stakes like a javelin. The make-shift spear went through a huge muscular black man. Buffy somersaulted forward at the same time and thrust up into a matronly looking blonde woman, before regaining her feet only to pivot on the left and lunge, taking down a cute teenage boy about the same age as Ron and herself. Ron sprinted forward and caught his own thrown weapon just before it hit the floor, and twirled back facing the gang. He began whirling them like a Kali fighter, making them a blur motion that even the vamps – used to moving faster than normal humans – could barely follow. Together, Buffy and Ron destroyed seven more, including one of the indifferent security officers, Buffy took a little pleasure when she _dusted_ Big Boobs herself.

Just as the last one was obliterated, a few things happened in the span of seconds. The cousins had moved through the opposition quite steadily, almost like a dance until they bumped into each other. They whirled around ready for action and halted when they recognized each other. Just as that was happening two men, one middle aged with brown hair and glasses, the other a young man with dark hair and an athletic build rushed in from the parking lot. The younger one, Xander Harris being more impetuous than his older peer, saw his friend and former crush, Buffy Summers being threatened by a teenage boy and yelled out, "Buffy, look out!" and charged in wielding a stake. Ron and Buffy dropped their stakes just as Xander yelled. Ron saw him and reacted like the trained martial artist he now was. Thought and action became one, Ron parried Xander's thrust, took control of his arm, and moving in the direction of momentum, used Xander's arm as a lever, flipped him on his back, and pinned him an ichikage pin. Ron was getting ready to punch the stunned, Xander whose eyes widened, at the sky-blue eyes looking down at him. "Hey, you're human," Ron stated, "Why'd you attack me, dude?"

"You were about to kill my friend, bloodsucker," Xander spat.

Ron looked up at his cousin smiling, as she walked over to look down at her friend, then helping him up she turned and threw her arms over Ron's shoulders in a tight hug. Xander looking confused looked over at his childhood friend Willow, who was talking to Buffy's Watcher and friend, Rupert Giles animatedly pointing at Buffy and Ron. Their conversation over Willow and Giles walked over and waited. Ron and Buffy ended their hug, Ron's eyes no longer glowing, now appeared to be a rich, brown color.

Buffy began to make introductions, "Rupert Giles, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, I would like you to meet my cousin from Colorado, Ronald Stoppable." Buffy's face had a relaxed almost serene quality to it while she spoke his name, there was a peace in her eyes that they had only rarely seen, since they met her. It had been completely absent for the past two weeks since they lost Angel/ Angelus in that rift. She had almost left, but stayed when her mother informed her that her cousin from Colorado, was coming to visit for the summer.

Willow was staring in awe at him, she had seen what he did during the battle. This Ron Stoppable was equal or better than Buffy the Sunnyvale Slayer in strength, but definitely faster than her. "Wow, Ron, the way you took out the vampires, was awesome. I've only ever seen Buffy and… one other person, do it like that."

Ron scratched the back of his head, blushed, and said, "No big, I fight freaks like them every other week with my best friend/girlfriend, Kim. Hell, the least freaky one we fight is a blue-skinned, mad scientist."

Buffy laughed, "I'm glad you and Kim are going into your junior year as a couple. The last message I got from her, three weeks ago she told me how much she missed you while you were in Japan for that month-long exchange program."

"Well, it **is** getting quite late," Giles broke in before they got too deep in conversation, "I am sure you are both exhausted from your exertions tonight, let us collect Mister Stoppable's luggage and exit the station. I would like return to my bed."

Ron shook his head, "That won't be necessary, Dude" he replied. "That's why I'm dressed like this, had a mission in Seattle earlier today, one of our enemies Professor Dementor, tried to make Mount Rainier erupt, we had to leave my luggage at home." He placed his arm around Buffy's shoulders, "Wade said, he would send it to your house, by tomorrow." Ron let go, ran over to retrieve a back pack, "This is all, I'll need for tonight, and tomorrow," he said as he jogged to join them as they exited.

* * *

Under the security desk, the lone security officer, listened as the conversation faded. If one were to examine his eyes they would notice they were red, with a vertical iris. When the fighting has started, he had ducked under the desk to keep from being noticed. When the conversation had started it was all he could do not to jump over the desk and charge into them. He would have had surprise on his side, because the one he wanted to attack did not know he was here.

On the guard's uniform, the name plate had a three-letter word on it, 'GIL.' The guard began to wheeze as if the very air was suffocating him. In his mind one thought seemed paramount over all the others, _the squeeb is HERE!_


	2. Kim's Tale

The next day, mid morning at the home of the Summers, in the bedroom of Buffy Summers. Ron Stoppable is chatting with his best friend and girlfriend, Kim Possible from the communication device, code named, Kimmunicator. He was informing her of the events of the previous evening and she was having the usual reaction that most people would have on learning that humans shared their world with…

"VAMPIRES?!," she asks, "really, vampires, as in bloodsucking human beings that rise from the grave?"

Ron nods his head indicating the affirmative, "That's right, KP, only I didn't see them rise from the grave, or drinking blood, yet when I stabbed them in the chest they exploded into dust. Not to mention, when I gave them my strongest MM powered attacks it only seemed to stun them, every single one of them got back up as if they didn't feel a thing."

Kim's picture was highly skeptical, she knew that Ron would never lie to her, about something related to his power. It was still hard to believe, and then there was the information he told her about Buffy. "And, Buffy is a Slayer whose sole purpose is to fight vampires, and protect the town of Sunnyvale, which is also called Hell's Mouth, which just happens to be a gateway to demonic dimensions?"

At that moment, the Slayer's face appeared next to her cousin's smiling broadly. "Hey, KP, yes it's true that is my lot in this life, my destiny, blessing and my curse."

Kim smiles back at the only person in the world other the Ron to call her, by her initials and get away with it. Buffy Summers was Ron Stoppable's best friend before Kim herself, met him. Ron was born in California and moved to Middleton when he was four years old. The first few years of their relationship Ron, told Kim all about his cousin Buffy. The first-time Kim (9) and Buffy (10) met, they tried to stake their territory over Ron, by making sure he spent as much time with one or the other as possible. It almost went too far, when Kim tried to intimidate Buffy, with her budding martial arts skill. Buffy was untrained and she was still able to hold off a girl who was considered an advanced student, in 16 form of Chinese martial arts. The fight had not escalated to far, when Ron came upon them, getting ready to go at seriously.

Most people know that Ron is a pretty easy going guy, always has been, but that day he really laid into both of his best friends. After that both little girls, made an effort to get along, and they found out they really had a lot in common besides taste in friends. The same taste in music, clothes and both were die-hard Cuddlers, Buffy's favorite was Battawolf, a wolf's head and body with the ears and wings of a bat. While they never became as close to each other as they were to Ron, they viewed each other as second best friends. As she grew older, and started thinking about boys, Kim was thankful that Ron and Buffy were cousins, because she knew she would have some real competition if Buffy decided Ron was boyfriend material.

Buffy turned to her cousin, and said, "Hey, mom wants to know if you'll make us breakfast, you know how much she likes your cooking?" She turned to Kim on the monitor, "Kim and I need some time for girl talk. I can also fill her in on vampires and slayers." Buffy stepped back and let them say their partings.

Ron caught the tone, but turned to his girlfriend on the monitor, who nodded, "I'll talk to you tomorrow KP, I want to hear all about your first day as a camp counselor, at the Spirit camp." Then he looked her right in the eyes when he said, "I love you, Kim."

Kim's eyes moisten, and she reaches up and moves her hand along the outline of his face, "I love you, too, and I miss you so much, Ronnie." Ron gets up and heads out the door, shoulders a little slumped.

The two young women stare at each other across miles and years, as they assess each other the way only former rivals can. Finally, one of them asks, "Is he still as good a cook as he has always been?"

Kim grins an imitation of Ron's own goofy grin, "Oh, my is he, all I have to say is, it's a good thing I exercise the way I do, and have a high metabolism or I'd be choosing prom dresses in the plus section of Club Banana."

"Then it's a good thing slayers have a high metabolism too, wouldn't be a good thing to try dusting vamps in a plus sized outfit," Buffy agreed.

"So, Buff a slayer, huh, mind telling me what that's all about," Kim asked gaze intensely studying the other teenage girl.

Buffy nodded, "If you tell me what's happening with Ron, Kim. I saw him last night fighting those bloodsuckers. He's as strong as I am, but definitely faster, and more agile."

Kim nodded in agreement, "I'll tell you what I can without breaking confidences with certain people, I'll let him tell you the rest if he feels like it."

Buffy understood the need for secrecy, since slayers need to work in the shadows kept her and her family safe. "Very well, quid pro quo, then. Who wants to go first?"

Kim thought for a little bit, "I'll go first, Ron is a Mystical Monkey Ninja Master," she offered to Buffy's nod. "A little over a year ago, at the tail end of our freshman year, we got a request on the site from a Lord Montegomery Fiske. He was a member of the British aristocracy, and a world-renowned purveyor of all things Monkey, from Archaeological to Biological. He wanted me to retrieve a small stone carving in the shape of a monkey, the temple we were going to in Cambodia was from a lost civilization that revered monkeys as holy. During that time, Ron had started to improve himself, by training with Rabbi Katz in krav maga, his rabbi was a former member of IDF special forces." Buffy's eyebrow rose at that part, Kim saw it and smirked, "I know, right? Well, as improved as he was, Ron still had a few rough edges to work through, namely his monkey-phobia." Buffy knew fully as much of the story of Ron's time at Camp Wannaweep as Kim, "From the start of the expedition Ron and Lord Fiske just never got along, he kept saying that Monty as he began calling him was '500-miles of bad road', I thought Ron was just being paranoid and projecting his simian issues onto someone else." Kim stopped, turning her face away from the camera, in self-reproach. Buffy waited and understood, they both loved Ron, but he sometimes let his fears overcome his better judgment, but also seemed able to read people for who they truly were, to look beyond the masks that they projected. While Ron can be wrong sometimes, he is right much of the time.

Kim continued in a subdued voice, "Long story short I got idol, but it was stolen by a ninja, we got back to Middleton, and began taking steps to get it back, I even managed to convince Ron that he was wrong about Fiske." Kim turned back to the camera with tears streaming down her face, "As it turned out Ron was completely correct about Lord Fiske, and not believing him and convincing him he was wrong, almost cost him his life. We found some clues regarding the monkey idols, and wanted to run them by Fiske, I had a family obligation that night so we had to leave it 'til the next morning or so I thought. Wade our webmaster, and tech support friend, was tinkering around with holograms, and made a holo-Kim that was convincing enough trick Ron into believing it was me. Ron went to the home of Lord Fiske in England, intent on just asking him some questions, and it was there that Ron found out that the ninja that stole the idol was Lord Montegomery Fiske, himself." Buffy gasped in astonishment, Kim continued, "That's not even the freaky part, turns out Monty, who prefers to be called, Monkey Fist, is so obsessed with monkeys he spent most of his family fortune to have his DNA altered, to give himself the hands and feet of a monkey."

Buffy's eyes widened as she said, "Ronnie, was right vampires at least look human, I can even empathize with some of the reasons why people submit themselves to the Embrace of a vampire. An English nobleman, who wanted to be a monkey is astounding, and it was his DNA which means they would be hereditary, gorchy, what woman would willingly let themselves be _with_ a man like that? That doesn't tell me how Ron became like he is now."

Kim nodded in acknowledgment of her second-best friend's surprise, "I'm just getting to that, turns out that there was a total of four different monkey idols, I never knew how he got those. When they are aligned with the four cardinal directions and someone stands in the center of them at exactly three and five in the evening, they are imbued with what is known as Mystical Monkey Power or MMP. Monkey Fist had already become empowered, with the yang half of the MMP, he had to wait until five pm to get the rest of it. That's when Ron arrived at Monkey Fist's door completely alone, even Rufus was not with him as he had come down with a naked mole rat version of the flu. The yang half of the MMP had heightened Monkey Fist's aggressive nature because Ron wasn't in his presence for more than a minute when Fiske attacked." Kim's face lit up with pride before she continued, "Ron had only been training in fighting for six months, nonetheless was able to completely defend himself against Fiske who was a master of Tai Sheng Pek War, with years of fighting experience. They were evenly matched in terms of skill and Krav Maga teaches its students to be aggressive, Ron was able to get away from Fiske and outrun a mystically empowered kung fu master. Well, on advice from my cousin Larry, Ron made it back to the Castle's basement and right at five pm, got hit with the yin half of the mystical power."

Buffy too was impressed with her cousin's fighting abilities, it was not as quickly as it takes her to pick up a fighting style but then she's a slayer, fighting comes naturally to her. Ron has always had a gentle nature, and was slow to anger, in fact the only time Buffy remembers seeing him truly pissed off was the time he found them fighting over him. "Yin, as in yin and yang?" Kim nodded correct, Buffy continued with what she knew of eastern culture, "Yin is female, darkness, cold, passive, it must have bonded with Ron perfectly. Ron being male, and training in an aggressive fighting style, the passive power of yin found a perfect counterpoint."

Kim shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine, all I know is that somehow Monkey Fist was driven even more insane when he got his monkey power, and Ron remained the same. Unfortunately, the universe will not allow two Monkey Masters to exist at the same time and while he was in Japan he ended the threat of Monkey Fist once and for all. That's also where he learned the way of the ninja, he's very good at stealth and recon. He's trained extensively in weapons, but he hasn't told me why. Ron swore an oath that he wouldn't divulge where he learned it, and you know Ron and his promises."

"MMP gives him more than just strength, speed and agility, which have to be activated, it gives him fighting knowledge off all martial arts that imitate even partially monkeys, or other primates. The fighting knowledge is always active, as is his ability to communicate with animals." Kim's eyes pierced into Buffy's as she continued, "Buffy, I've seen him pick up a thousand-pound steel construction girder with only a little effort, he's outrun formula one muscle cars going triple digits, and jump three stories up into a building and down again with little problem. All those abilities have to be activated though."

"The blue-eyes," Buffy guessed remembering last night's battle?

Kim nodded in confirmation, "I love him, have for a long time, but even I can't look at him when he activates his power. I mean his eyes are my favorite place to look at when we're together. As I said before, his fighting skill remains the same and he is a formidable opponent even without his power, but when he activates his power he is all but unstoppable." Kim came out of her revelry and gazed intently at her Sunnyvale counterpart. "Now tell me about being a slayer."

As a result, Buffy tells her friend about slayers and vampires and watchers. Buffy tells Kim all about her former high school, about moving to Sunnyvale and discovering it to be the gateway to demonic dimensions. Buffy already told all of this and more to Ron. She did not tell Kim about Angel/ Angelus, but she told Ronnie, that is the difference between best friend/ cousins, and second best friends. If Kim even noticed the omissions, she did not call Buffy out about. Finally, Buffy and Kim decided to say bye, "You take care of my boyfriend while he's there, spoiled Cali-bitch," Kim added in mock belligerence.

Buffy quirked an eyebrow, "Just as long you remember that he's your boyfriend whether he there with you or not, hay-seed whore," she responded the same way.

Kim returned a warm smile, to her former rival for Ron's affections, "You don't have to worry about that, 'I love you' doesn't begin to describe how I feel about our Ronnie. I haven't given my heart to him because he is my heart." Kim's smile mirrors her boyfriend's again, "Give Ron a huge kiss, when you go down and see him, from me."

Buffy blushes, "I can't kiss him like that, Kim, he's my cousin."

Kim giggles, "Kim out." Buffy signs off.

* * *

The catacombs of Sunnyvale…

In a dark area in an area where even demons fear to tread, the sounds of a woman humming an ancient air, over the sounds of a bath being taken. The place is dark for even vampires to see in without artificial means. _Too long since I have seen the sun, and the world my ex-husband built with his progeny, I wonder how much has really changed?_

The woman continues and the liquid that fills her tub begin to decompose, _Damn, blood doesn't last as long in this dry climate as in Hungary, too warm._


	3. Perspective and the Scooby Gang

Monkey Master and the Vampire Slayer, Ch2

Perspective and the Scooby Gang

Ron Stoppable shut the door to his cousin's bedroom. He thought about many things, as he made his way down to the kitchen. Kim was spending the summer at a Spirit training camp for cheerleaders, as a camp counselor. It was a summer job that allowed her to help people, and she still got paid a good salary. While Kim refused to accept payment for freak fighting and disaster relief, she charged plenty for things like babysitting, getting cats out of trees, and other less world saving-ish type missions. The camp was a girl only cheer camp, even the staff were women only, since most of the girls were at the age where men and boys, would be a distraction. They had been dating for three months, since the sophomore Spring Fling dance, and while reluctant to be apart both understood the need for alone time. Should a mission come up Rufus was there, if she needed a partner to watch her back.

Ron's parents were going to be on vacation all summer, they asked if he would like to go with but he declined, since they commented on it being their second honeymoon. Thus, instead of hanging around Middleton on his own, Ron had decided to come visit his mother's sister and his cousin, Buffy who was his best friend since before even Kim. While his primary reason for visiting was to reconnect with Buffy and Aunt Joyce, there was an ulterior motive for his visit. _Buffy, and little Dawn are the only female blood relatives eligible, since as far as I know they have never been pregnant._

Ron made it down to the kitchen, where his Aunt Joyce still in her bathrobe sat reading the paper near the counter and having coffee. He came over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Good morning, Aunt J, how was your rest last night?"

Joyce Summers smiled warmly at her nephew's greeting, "Morning, Ronnie, as well as can be expected when I found out how you were welcomed to Sunnyvale. If anything happened to you I wouldn't know how to face your mom."

Ron chuckled, "It's nothing to extraordinary for me, Aunt J, you know about some of the missions I go on with Kim, I'm sure. It would be hard to know which is more badically, dangerous, vampires and demons, or deranged scientists with green-skinned assistants with glowing green hands."

Joyce raises her eyebrows at her nephew's statement, "I'll never know how your mother let's you go on those dangerous missions so far from home."

Ron looks at her and with a serious face answers his aunt, "Because, she knows I would go anyway, that I would give my life to protect those I love, and the one I love the most. At least by giving me permission, she knows where I am, and what I am doing. If I had to sneak out and go behind her back, she wouldn't know where I was." Ron's face blossoms into a goofy grin, "Now, what would you and Buffy like for breakfast? She kicked me out of her room, so she and Kim could have some 'girl talk', and to get back at her I'm going to make her the most badical breakfast to try and make her fat."

Joyce was thunderstruck by the determination in her nephew's eyes and the resolve in his voice. There was no uncertainty at all, about why he did what he did. She had seen that kind of look on her daughter's face the night, she told her mother about being a Slayer. Joyce tried to force her daughter, to stay, tried to ground her like she was a child, doing something wrong. When Buffy got home that night, they had a fight, and told her mother, what may have happened if Buffy had listened and not gone to confront her ex-boyfriend. Then Buffy told Joyce, what did happen the night they lost Angel. Joyce smiles, "Surprise us, you can cook anything we have ingredients to make."

"Besides," said a voice from the direction of the stairs, "I highly doubt with the Slayer metabolism you could ever make anything that could make her fat." They looked over as Buffy walked into the kitchen and got herself a cup of coffee, black, no cream or sugar.

Ron takes on an evil smirk not unlike one Shego would make. "You're going to wish you hadn't said that like a challenge, cuz." Before turning to get out everything he needed to make his decadent French Toast and bacon Monte Cristos with provolone and raspberry preserves.

Buffy sat next to her mother, and felt her mother place her hand on hers, and consider each other's eyes. Their relationship had been strained for the longest time, since before moving to Sunnyvale. Joyce never thought for a moment that her daughter, was a juvenile delinquent. While Joyce never got a straight answer, in the back of her mind she knew her daughter, always had very good reasons for the things she had done. While Joyce was not happy about Buffy's job, she now understood what mothers of soldiers all over the world, felt like when their children joined the military. Joyce suddenly felt a mixture of pride and fear, and acceptance, but most of all hope.

Buffy looked back at her mother, she saw the storm of emotions swirling in the eyes of the woman she always looked up to as her role model. Joyce Summers had always instilled in both of her daughters, the idea of service, to place community above the individual. When Buffy first became a Slayer, it was with the idea that she was doing something to protect her school and later her town. Suddenly, Buffy felt her eyes welling up with tears, only to be mirrored by her mother. Joyce raised her hand caressed her eldest daughter's cheek, and Buffy raised hers pressing her mother's hand with her own.

Mother and daughter met in the middle and embraced each other, both unleashed a torrent of tears. "I'm so sorry, I didn't tell you, sooner," daughter whispered to mother. "I am so proud of you, baby," mother whispered to daughter. "I love you, so much, please forgive me," both said to the other.

* * *

During the summer with the school closed, Buffy and Willow, Xander and Giles had to meet at the Sunnyvale Museum of Ancient History. Sunnyvale had three museums, Sunnyvale Museum of Art at the end of the street right before the intersection of Main and Broadway, and Sunnyvale Museum of Natural History across the street from the ancient history museum, all at the north end of Main street. The Museum of Ancient History is over 200 million cubic feet of space, with a third of that given over to college level research materials, and a third of that reserved for Rupert Giles as living space. Giles is the head curator of the museum, and only volunteered at the high school's library to fulfill his obligation as the Slayer's Watcher.

At the moment, the museum was receiving a shipment of clay tablets written in Hebrew. Giles was waiting for Willow Rosenberg to arrive since she was Jewish he assumed she would know the language. Prof. Rupert Giles was knowledgeable of many ancient languages from Babylonian to Persian, but Hebrew was not one of them. The clay tablets were a conundrum, they were obviously, very old, and yet look as if they had only been carved yesterday. _Clearly, an active force has been preserving them, clearly whatever is written upon them is important enough for times touch to be reduced._

Professor Giles heard muffled voices coming from the hallway. The door opened and in walked Willow and Xander, and Xander was talking about Buffy's cousin. "I'm telling you Willow, there's something about that Ron guy that I don't like."

Willow smirked at her childhood friend's comments, "That wouldn't happen to be because he kicked your butt last night, would it?"

The boy's back stiffened in dignity, "Hey, I've been taken out that fast before, and by a girl, if anything that wounded my pride even more than last night."

Willow let out a giggle at that admission, "Yes, it was Buffy who took you down, which I bet you didn't mind as much since it was her, and you reconciled it in your mind, to her being the Slayer."

"I am not going to dignify that with a response, I'm just saying his eyes were blue while looking down at me, and brown when he looked at us after hugging Buffy." The young man informed them as they were coming to Giles. "Something's not right about the guy."

Giles looked up as the two-young people, he has come to regard as friends, reached his table. It was impossible not to hear what they were talking about, though they were whispering. The acoustics of the museum library projected voices from the entrance to anywhere in the room. _Hmm, I wonder, they haven't been active for close to 600 years._ "Xander did you really say his eyes were blue, then brown?"

Xander nodded, "Yes, glowing blue, like vampires and some demons glow red."

Giles set the tablets down and walked back into the stacks. Just as Buffy, walked in followed by Ron Stoppable. "Hey, guys," Ron said from the entrance, "how is everybody this fine bon-diggity morning?"

Willow smiled and waved at the pair walking in, "Not too bad, Ron, hey Buffy, did you sleep pretty well last night?"

Buffy's smile could have lit up a stadium, she and her mom had become best friends, reconnecting instantly after two years of estrangement. "I haven't slept so well in months, and the best part of all, my mother and I made up this morning." Buffy's eyes still misty from the talk they had over breakfast, Buffy told her mom as much about Slayers as she told Ron, which was everything. Ron told Joyce and Buffy, about Team Possible's missions including, the same story Buffy heard from Kim, though he left out the part concerning Yamanouchi. He was only allowed to tell two people about the ninja school, and he had already told Kim.

Willow and Xander placed their hands companionably on Buffy's shoulder as Ron took a seat at the table with the tablets. Buffy lightly slapped Xander's arm, "We heard what you were saying about us, Xander and I promise you Ron is never a threat to us. I would trust him with my life, more importantly I would trust him with yours. He's in the same business as us after all."

"What business is that," Xander asked?

"Saving the world," Buffy replied. "Ron and his girlfriend, Kim save the world on a weekly basis." Xander's eyebrows shot up to the top of his skull.

"I never knew that the world was always in peril that often, other than at the Helmuth," Giles said as he returned from the stacks carrying a scroll with Asian writing on it. Rupert noticed Ron sitting at the table with the tablets, casually glancing over them without moving them. "Ah that reminds me, Willow are you conversant in Hebrew," Giles asked.

Willow nodded, "A little bit, I haven't been to Temple since I was a little girl, my folks and me, are known as lapsed Jews." While Willow walked over to the tablets to try reading them, Buffy, Xander and Giles stepped over to another table where he opened the scroll.

"Buffy what do you know about your cousin." Giles asked? Buffy hesitated not knowing, if she should tell them the same story she got from Kim this morning. Giles answered for her, "He is a Mystical Monkey Master is he not?"

Buffy was nonplussed that Giles would know that, and just nodded. "What the hell is a Mythical Monkey Master," Xander asked?

Giles kept his gaze on Buffy while answering Xander. "Mystical Monkey Masters were the Slayers of Asia. While our Slayers only concerned themselves with vampires and supernatural threats, Monkey Masters' interests were of a wider focus. Which is why there were always two of them, male and female. They more often than not worked as partners, but it wasn't unprecedented for them to be whole continents apart. Both had similar abilities, they were both consummate martial artists, could be extremely strong, and were said to be faster than the fastest horses. They could appear next to each other in an instant no matter where in the world they were. Some legends say, they could either travel through shadows, or appear in a flash of light. They could see vampires and other human-clad supernatural creature, though their closest kin could never tell the difference until they were vanquished."

Buffy nodded as she remembered last night's brawl, "He did say, last night he could tell that the vamps, appeared to be human, but were not. Why have we never heard of them, Giles?"

"That is the big mystery, all reports of Monkey Masters suddenly stop around 600 years ago. There has never been a report of a sighting of them since." Giles looks at Buffy asking silently for any information on her cousin. Buffy nods and tells the guys, the same story about the monkey idols and Monkey Fist, the one Kim Possible gave to Buffy just this morning.

As she was getting to the end, Willow called over to the three at the table. They looked up and saw both Ron and Willow waving them over to the tablet. Before they could ask she spoke, "It's some kind of prophecy, I had trouble with it but Ron is better with Hebrew than I am and he helped me translate it. Ron will read it in Hebrew, I'll translate to English," as Ron begins to recite:

היזהר מעליית האם, האישה הראשונה

כל בניה יברחו, שמא יפגשו מוות סופי

ובנותיה יהיו חסרות-אונים בידיה

צאצאיהם של חוה ואדם

יתלו את קיומם בתקווה אחת

איחוד הזריחה והשקיעה

אין זכר עשוי להתגבר, אשתו הראשונה

רק אישה יכולה להרוג אותה

After Ron finishes, Willow translates:

Take heed of the Mother's rise, the First Woman,

All her sons shall flee, lest they meet final death,

And her daughters shall be helpless in her hands.

The children of Eve and Adam,

Will hang their survival upon one hope,

The fusion of dawn and twilight,

No man may defeat, the First Wife…

Only woman may slay her.


	4. Lake Monster, pt 1

Monkey Master and the Vampire Slayer

Lake Monster

Lara Dreyer, was relaxing in the bathtub, of the middle-class home, she shared with her husband and seven-day old infant son, Joshua. Raymond Dreyer, her husband, was a supervising plant technician at the Sunnyvale Electric plant, and Lara herself was just about to return to teaching at Sunnyvale High, after departing for maternity leave. She had just put her newborn down for a nap, and decided to indulge in a bubble bath. She opened the valves and immediately felt the steam rise from the water. Adding her favorite bubble bath ingredients, she removed her bathrobe and stepped in the tub.

She suddenly heard her baby scream, as if in fright over the baby monitor in her hand, and without a moment's hesitation except to shut off the tub. She rushed back down the hall and into her baby's room, when she came to a stop. There in the middle of the room holding a baby's jumper, was a woman with red hair, and black eyes with no iris. She was pushing something down her throat, which appeared to be extended and enlarged like in documentaries she had seen of snakes.

Lara looked toward her baby's crib and did not see him, then she looked at the woman and saw an infant's foot disappearing down the woman's gullet. Lara screamed and launched herself at the woman, who caught her by the throat in one hand. The woman who just ate her baby spoke to her in a language Lara did not recognize. "Köszönjük, hogy megadta a vacsorát, most itt az ideje, hogy egy fürdő." (Thank you for providing my dinner, now it is time to take a bath.) The woman carried Lara back down to the bathroom, and closed the door. Lara's screams changed to a gurgling sound, and went quiet.

* * *

Sunnyvale Multiplex, the only place in town, for teens to catch the latest blockbusters coming out of Tinsel town. A five-screen movie theater, where the locals can go to dream of the glamorous life of Hollywood, which just happen to be only 20 miles from where they sit. In the darkness of the cinema, prowls a predator slinking through the aisles, like a serpent in the meadow. The hunter uses its own natural instincts, and adequate attendance to keep itself concealed while selecting its prey from the population.

It must be careful lest it be detected by the neighborhood watchdog, the Slayer. Its new in town and only had a fleeting description of what she looked like. A pretty blonde teenager, with a Valley Girl mouth. It ghosted passed a couple, the girl with red-hair, the guy with dark hair, both sets of eyes glued to the screen. "You know I think they should've gotten Vin Diesel for the second one and left Walker in the first one where he belonged," the dark-haired guy whispered to his date.

"Why did you drag me to this car movie, Alex" his date replied, "if you don't like it?"

The predator left them behind and moved on down the aisle, _much easier to take prey when its alone._ Another pair, this one a father-daughter couple, on the other side of the aisle, both brunette, quietly munched on popcorn. At the back of the theater, in an over-sized red-burgundy hockey jersey over a mock turtle neck sweater, sat a single blonde male, with oversized tan cargo pants, upheld by a black belt and secured by a silvery belt buckle. He had blue-eyes that seemed to shine in theater, but were most likely reflected from the screen.

The predator sat herself down next to the boy, and leaned close to him allowing him to catch a whiff of her perfume. This was her prey of choice, teen male from the look of his clothes a fashion reject. Therefore, probably considered beneath notice, by his peers probably called mean things like nerd, dweeb, geek or loser. When she was alive she wouldn't have given him the time of day. Now, they were her bread-n-butter almost literally, with them she could dine well, and never worry about where her next meal came from.

"Do you like this kind of movie," he surprised her by asking?

"Not really, I mostly watch it for the eye candy on screen," she replied, "Paul Walker really gets my engine turning," the huntress said laying a hand on his arm, _seemingly_ by accident.

He looked anxious, and asked the huntress her name, "Morgan," she said, "and yours," she asked not really caring?

"Michael," he said, "I'm not really a fan of Paul Walker, or Diesel, I'm more into the ladies of course, and the car scenes." Michael did not move his arm as he seemed to enjoy the contact. Probably the first time a girl as hot as her paid him any attention.

Morgan smirked, "I'm not a fan of his acting, it's his sexy body and adorable golden-locks that I like." Morgan licked her lips in a hunger, knowing he'd take it for a different kind of hunger.

"She's not in this one, but you kind of remind me of Vin's sister in the first movie, now she's my favorite."

Morgan smiled genuinely accepting the compliment, "Thank you for the compliment, Michael," she said squeezing his hand. "Say" she asked, "since neither one of us really cares for this movie, would you like to get out of here?"

Michael hesitated, "Are you sure, we paid good money to see this movie, we wouldn't want it to go to waste."

Morgan smiled broadly and said, "Oh it won't go to waste, trust me," she said leaning her body into his.

Michael returned the smile with a rather goofy grin, "Well, if you insist, my mom always said, it pays to heed the advice of a lady."

Prey and predator stood up and exiting the row, moved down the aisle toward the exit in the back of the theater. They exited through the lobby linked arm and arm, and headed around the side of the theater. They walked down a side alley, her arm was around his waist, his up around her shoulders. Before they reached the halfway point of the alley, Michael said something that puzzled her, "I'm sorry, Morgan," he said.

"What do you have to be sorry about, Michael?"

"Well, I have been leading you on, since we began talking," told her.

Her eyes narrowed, "What about, Michael?"

"My real name is Ronald Michael Stoppable for starters," he answered.

Morgan smiled relaxing a little, "Is that all, lots of people prefer to be called by their middle name."

Ron nodded, seeming to accept her gracious attitude, "That's true, but that not the only thing I lied about." Suddenly, he pressed the Star of David that Kim Possible gave him for Hanukah this year into her neck, causing Morgan to scream, and the smell of sizzling flesh assailed their noses. Out of the darkness four individuals walked into view. They were the couples Morgan noticed while she was on the prowl in the theater. One of the women, removed a brown wig, revealing golden-blonde hair like Ron's own hair. "Plus, I have a girlfriend who's way more beautiful then you."

Morgan looked around as they surrounded her, when her eyes lighted upon the woman removing the hair piece. The vampire stared in horror as the Slayer revealed herself. "You got this, cuz," she asked, and the boy she thought of as Michael nodded?

"You bet, Buffy," Ron replied.

Morgan turned to him and asked weakly, "Cousin?" Ron suddenly lunged forward and Morgan felt a sharp pain in her chest, before exploding into dust.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, Morgan, may you rest in peace." Ron stared down at the remains of the vampire, and sighed. He had received some instruction on what they were from Buffy and Giles. While vampires appeared to be the people they were in life, the truth of the matter was that the soul of the person really had moved on to whatever reward it deserved in the after-life, and a demon moved in to set up shop. It had all the memories and skills of the previous owner, but none of the humanity. They told him of mothers who turned on their children, even though the children made a deal with another vampire, to turn their mother to prevent their mother's death. She even told Ron of a friend of hers, dying of a disease and tried get Buffy to get a vampire to turn him, so he would not die himself.

Buffy drew close to her cousin, and put her arm around his shoulders. "Something the matter, Ronnie?"

Ron looked at her and shrugged his shoulders, "not really, BA (A/N: Buffy Anne) but do you really do stuff like this every night, don't you guys ever have fun like regular teenagers?"

Xander replied sarcastically, "What you mean other teenagers, actually go to the Multiplex to watch the movies, not to hunt vampires?"

Willow elbowed him in the side, but looking at Ron asked, "I thought you and Kim, dealt with stuff like this all the time."

"We do, but usually get a week to unwind from a mission, before the next villain on deck tries his or her hand at taking over the world," Ron explained.

"Believe it or not, Ron, dusting low-level vamps is fun for me," Buffy said, "I mean what better way to blow off a little steam, than go out and kill vampires? Most teens play sports, or commit minor vandalism to decompress. When a parent, teacher or," she continued, smiling thinly at Giles, "Watcher is irritating you, going out to dust fledgling vamps is a great and _useful_ way to vent your frustration. The only danger is when they band together, the way they did that night at the train station."

Xander was nodding his head, "I agree and if you can imagine the person you're mad at is the vamp you're taking out, you can imagine killing them without feeling guilty."

Ron thought, "I never imagined it like that before."

Then Giles surprised them all by saying, "Still even Slayers, need relaxation from time to time, it is not as if there will _be_ a dearth of vampires and demons in the world. They pro-generate worse than cock roaches."

Buffy was the first to speak, "What are you saying Giles, taking a vacation?"

Giles shook his head, "More as if to take a respite, you would have to remain near enough to the Hellmouth, to return when needed in case of emergency. You would also have to go somewhere together, in the event trouble arose where you went."

The four-young people, began smiling like it was Christmas morning, and their first present was a new car. Three began looking at each other thinking about where to go that met their mentor's criteria. Two thought the same thing, "Sunnyvale Reservoir?" One was wondering if her mother would like to come, she could use some R&R herself, and another was wishing his girlfriend was here, so he could spend time with her.

* * *

Sunnyvale Reservoir

The Sunnyvale Reservoir was built in 1960, as part of President Eisenhower's Interstate Highway System. Supplied from the Colorado River, it is the major source for potable water to Sunnyvale proper and surrounding communities, and supplies 80% of those citizens with electricity via hydroelectric power generators. The completion of the Sunnyvale Reservoir, incidentally causing the creation of the lake named after, Sunnyvale the largest town in the area.

When people refer to Sunnyvale Reservoir, however they think of the man-made lake that provides excellent swimming, fishing and other outdoor recreational amusements. The Dodge full-sized van Xander, borrowed from his dad drove up to one of the designated picnic facilities. All doors open at the same time, and four people pile out. Ron and Xander head to the back and begin unloading the barbecue gear. Buffy and Willow, head to the picnic table and begin unpacking the ingredients for the barbecue/picnic.

The ladies spread out a white table cloth over a single table, for prep and eating. The guys pull out a small-sized grill and carry it to sit next to the prep table. Both groups are making small-talk as they go about preparing thing for the picnic/ barbecue. They unloaded the coolers that held the ingredients for the feast, two large sirloin steaks, that have been marinating since the night before. The side dishes to the main course had of course all been made in the Summers family kitchen, Willow and Xander had prepared their own sides.

Ron and Xander put the steaks on the grill, and joined the girls at the table. Xander and Ron wore T-shirts that read 'Kiss the Cook' over swim trunks, and flip-flops. Buffy and Willow also wore T-shirts and shorts over their bathing suits, and flip-flops. Talking was lighthearted, and laughter plentiful, with Xander and Ron trying to compete over the most dangerous situations they have been in thanks to the women in their lives. "Mind switching," Xander asked, "try possession by a hyena, then talk com talk to me."

Ron narrowed his eyes, "Yo, Dude, that ain't nut-tin, you ever been shot into space with a crazed Englishman?"

"As if, Stoppable, how about a praying mantis disguised as a hot chick, to lure unsuspecting men into her clutches to fertilize her eggs," Xander said spreading his arms.

Buffy and Willow were down close to the water sunning themselves, they were engaging in conversation that all women speak of when men are not present. They had stripped down to the swim wear, and lay on beach towels, applying sunscreen. Willow wore a scarlet one piece bathing suit, Buffy a navy version of Willow's suit.

* * *

Out in the water, a pair of eyes observed the party on the lake shore. These eyes bored into the face of one of Ron Stoppable. Hate, was not a strong enough word to describe, his enmity towards Kim Possible's boyfriend. The very sight of Ron Stoppable, induced a level of loathing in him, that set his brain on fire. _Why, why, why does he have to show up here of all places. I finally found a place where I'm not the freakiest person around, and he has to show up, and take everything away again._ The eyes submerge, and dove deep into the lake's dark recesses. _The last two times I went at it by myself but this time I'm not alone._

* * *

After lunch…

Buffy and Ron sat together on a blanket resting after swimming. They were in that companionable silence that people, who are really comfortable with each other enjoy. They were so tranquil with each other that they were barely even thinking about anything. It was in that silence that Buffy broke when she asked a question that had her mildly curious. "Ron, may I ask a question?"

Ron being Ron chose to be a smart-ass. "You just did, would you like another," he quipped?

Buffy well used to his ways, without missing a beat replied, "Why, yes, Ronnie, I would love another."

"Granted, what would you like to ask," he returned with a chuckle?

"It's about the Mystical Monkey Power," she said, tentatively.

Ron sat up giving her, his undivided attention, after looking around to make sure the other two were otherwise occupied. _Will she ask about it, now?_ "Go ahead, BA." Xander and Willow were lounging by the tables, engaged in their own discussion.

Buffy returned his attention, "This last year in social studies we learned a little about other cultures. One of the topic we discovered was the Yin/Yang symbol. The Yin is the dark half of the symbol and represents, the negative/passive/female principle in nature. The Yang is the light half and represents, the positive/active/male principle in nature." Ron was nodding in confirmation, as he listened to his cousin/ best friend explain the basis for her question. "I know from what you and Kim have told me, that you received the Yin half of the MMP, and understood right away since you're a boy how the Yin could bond to you."

Ron smiled, "Yes that's part of why the bond worked for me and not Monkey Fist. What did you want to ask?"

Buffy's voice gained confidence with his reply. "If you got the Yin half and were able to remove the Yang half from that Monty-freak, who got the Yang half after it was removed from _him_? Did you give it to, Kim?"

To say Ron was elated for her question would be an understood, he hoped it would be Buffy and not little Dawn. "The Yang hasn't been given to anybody, and KP isn't eligible to receive it."

Buffy's eyes widened, "But Kim is a female, what else is needed to be eligible?"

Ron nodded in understanding of her confusion, he was extremely confused when he was told the criteria for bonding himself. "The gender of the candidate is only one factor in deciding who can be bonded. For the male, he must be a virgin, a female must not have been pregnant before the bond takes place." Ron and Buffy both blushed with that admission, "They must be of the same blood, without gaps, even second cousins are ineligible."

Buffy gasped, as she realized what that meant, she knew her family history. Other than her and her little sister Dawn, there were no other women in their family, who could become a Mystical Monkey Master. So, unless Ron had a daughter, or his parents had another child and it was a girl, there would never be a complete bond. Buffy looked at him suspiciously, "So, is that the only reason you came to visit this summer?"

Ron's eyes narrowed at the accusation, "Don't even go there, Buffy Ann Summers," he snapped. "I wanted to see my cousins and my aunt, and have something to do for the summer while my girlfriend, was working a summer job in Montana. Passing along the rest of the MMP bond was the last thing on my mind when I planned to come here. Hell, if I hadn't walked in on that brawl at the train station, I would've been quite content to never mention it during my visit at all." She still looked at him skeptically, but her suspicion softened, _He never uses full name unless he's serious._ Ron continued, "Besides, there is one other factor in selection of a band mate I forgot to mention."

"Yeah, what's that Ron," Buffy asked with an edge.

"The prospective candidate must _ask_. When you asked about the Yang half, you met the last factor to make you a candidate."

"Wha…," Buffy started to ask for clarification when they heard Willow scream.

Ron and Buffy raced to their friend but came to a stop when they saw a giant reptilian monstrosity rear up out of the lake. The closest thing Ron could describe it as, was a Tyrannosaurus Rex with large arms, webbed claws on all four appendages and a flattened beaver-like tail. What surprised Ron the most was not the lake monster but who was riding it. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Surprise, squeeb," Gill shouted with venom.


	5. Lake Monster, pt 2

Monkey Master and the Vampire Slayer

Lake Monster pt. 2

Buffy took in many details at once as she gazed at the monster that has been living in the lake where she got her drinking water. It was level with the canopy, over them and the teeth, the long-pointed teeth were clearly those of a meat-eater. She idly wondered what it ate to get so big, _there can't be too many sources of food for something that big._ Buffy flickered her eyes over to her cousin, and noticed that he seemed just as surprised as she was by the turn of events.

His eyes must have become as wide as hers, and his mouth was slack-jawed, but the direction of his irises, were not directed at the giant amphibian. They gazed in astonishment at the creature that rode it, who apparently knew Ron.

"Surprise, squeeb!" it squeaked, before its throat bulged out like a frog's, then spewed a huge mass of green slime right in Ron and her direction.

Ron's eyes suddenly flared bright blue, "Willow, Xander, look out." and he jumped to the side taking his cousin with him as he picked her up, and cleared 15 feet before setting her down behind a heavy bush area. They turned to see Xander and Willow slam back into a pair of pine trees. Ron swore sulfurously, and turned to the Vampire Slayer. "We need to act fast, BA," said urgently, "Gill's slime changes people into creatures like him."

Buffy arched an eyebrow, "So, I take it you know, fish sticks over there?"

Ron grimaced in distaste, "You could say that," it was Ron's turn to do some nutshelling, "Gil's an old camp buddy, from Wannaweep. Spent all his time in the lake while at camp, the green, highly mutagenic lake; blames me for causing his mutation." Ron rose a little and shouted to the two amphibians, "Even though I tried to warn him, because even an idiot like me with **no scientific background, could tell the lake was funky**!" Buffy pulled him back down before another blast of slime could hit him.

"It's safe to say that our biggest priority is Amphibious Rex over there," Buffy surmised.

Ron nodded his head, "Other than the slime, and appearance Gill is not much stronger than a normal human. Albeit a really, really fit human," he smiled, "think Michael Phelps on steroids."

Buffy nodded in agreement, "We have to split up and try to separate them," she suggested. Ron looked at her and with a grim determination nodded his head.

"Let's create some distance from the others, so he doesn't think to use them as frog chow," Ron added.

"What's the matter squeeb, are you afraid to face my wrath," before croaking to the creature that he rode? It suddenly lurched toward their hiding place.

Ron and Buffy leapt and flipped out of its way, rebounding off trees and coming to a rest fifty yards away. "As if, Gill with two 'Ls', I was just wondering where you met your girlfriend." Suddenness of movement worked, because as agile as the creature is in water, it was that amount less graceful on land, and sixteen tons of muscle, bone and sinew cannot turn on a dime. Gill did not understand this and when he tried to turn the behemoth, it stumbled and tripped, flinging him from its back to bounce off a few pine trees.

The giant stood up, shaking his head looking, around for his friend. Then it spotted the male that his friend hated, and started to stomp over to him, it roared in his face. Ron reared back his fist and let fly with all his strength, an uppercut to the beast's jaw. It stumbled back never meeting another creature that could hurt it before. It roared again more out of surprise than pain, now it lunged at the creature that hurt it, now out of self-preservation than anything. Ron back flipped out of the way, and began running making sure the monster stayed with him.

Meanwhile, Buffy moved on ahead running so fast, she could easily keep pace with a cheetah. The only thing slowing her down was the uneven terrain, and she did not want to get so far ahead, that she could not help Ron if he needed her. _Kim said he can run triple digit speeds, so keeping ahead of it shouldn't be a problem for him, but Murphy's Law applies here._ She was also looking for a place they could dispatch the creature, someplace its size would be a liability.

Then she came upon a ridge, looking down into a box canyon 30 feet deep and long, and 10 feet wide, the entrance was a slope just steep enough to make footing treacherous. _I hope Ron is as nimble as Kim says he is._ Buffy turns and runs back to find Ron. Ron is just a couple miles from where he needs to turn, to make the canyon. She puts her fingers to her mouth and sends out a shrill whistle, getting his attention.

Ron turns his head, seeing his cousin up on a ridge, she points to a turn off just coming into view. He looks back seeing the monster right on his heels. Ron could easily have outstripped the lumbering creature, but it might have turned around to go back for Willow and Xander. Now that Buffy has found a place to kill or at least neutralize the creature, Ron begins to increase his speed pulling ahead even more, but making sure it was still willing to chase him.

Ron took the turn going at a good clip, the creature did not even seem to be breathing hard, and seemed to be enjoying the chase. Ron looked up ahead and saw the entrance to the canyon. The path he was on was a good ten feet above the canyon floor, as he could estimate. The walls rose a good twenty feet above that, and were smooth on all three sides. Ron narrowed his and suddenly he shot away from the monster hot on his trail, He reached the lip of the entrance and he was a missile, shooting onto one wall, then cartwheeling upward onto the opposite wall and launching himself high above the canyon rim and coming to rest into a skidding stumble, that landed him flat on his face. He was wheezing, and out of breath, when he rolled over arms outstretched and stared up at the sky.

The monster was taken completely by surprise when Stoppable started pulling away from it, and even tried increase it pace into order to catch it prey. The monster wasn't so much fast at it had a long stride, so it poured all of it concentration into catching its prey it never noticed the canyon lip approaching until it was too late for it to stop. Ron still laying on his back, and Buffy just coming up to him, heard a loud BOOM, following immediately by the ground shaking, almost like and earthquake. Buffy gazing in that direction, kneels and caresses Ron's forehead, before turning and smirking at her cousin. "I've gotta hand it to you cuz," she said, you sure know how to run."

Ron chuckled, sat up just getting his breath back, "It... comes from… running away… from henchmen, and bullies."

Buffy pulls him to his feet, and they make it over to look down at the creature. Its forelimbs are splayed at odd angles, lying face down in its own blood. They can see bone sticking out and both know what must be done. Even if, it was not injured, it could never be allowed to roam free, who knows what havoc it could cause if left to its own devices. Buffy near to tears, voiced her concerns, "How are we going to put it down, without cause it anymore suffering?" Vampires, and demons were one thing in her mind they were utterly evil, she had no qualms destroying any of them, but a living creature, probably the last of its kind brought out her compassionate side.

"There may be a way," Ron hesitated, "we would need to be at full power, though."

"What do you mean full power," Buffy asked?

"Remember before, when you were asking me about, the yang half of the MMP?" At her affirmative nod, he continued, "Well, unless the bond is completed, by giving the power to its rightful recipient, any monkey master is only at half power."

Buffy listened to what her cousin was saying, then remembered the conversation they before A-Rex and Fish sticks showed up. _They must be of the same blood…_ , Realization set in as she realized what he was telling her. "You want to give mystical monkey power to me?"

Ron was nodding, "I cannot think of anybody other than KP, I would entrust it with, and unfortunately since she's not a blood relative, she is not able to receive it."

"Ron, the Slayer's power comes from a pure-demonic source, known as the Shadow Demon, what makes you think I can even receive MMP," Buffy exclaimed?

Ron nodded, but answered, "It is the yang half of the power, it is the male half, and you called the demonic power the 'Shadow Demon', yang is the light half of MMP, shadows cannot exist without light, the brighter the light the stronger the shadow." Ron looked down at the suffering creature, then back at Buffy, "honestly I can't help think it's an even better match than mine with yin, however the bond must be entered into with a free will, nobody can be forced into the it." Ron fell silent as Buffy contemplated his request.

After a few moments, she nodded her head, "The power of the Slayer increases the longer she lives, but sometimes even the power of the Slayer can't overcome some threats. Maybe the Slayer with Mystical Monkey Power can." She looks at her cousin and best friend with her eyes brimming with determination, "May I become the yang Mystical Monkey Master?"

Ron gives her a smile of satisfaction, "Yes, you may, Buffy Ann Summers." He steps back a few paces, holds out his right hand, and closing his eyes clears his mind, "Lotus Blade, come to me," his voice echoing as if from to call something from far away. A bright azure light flashed into his hand, the silver belt buckle he has worn every day since being here appears in his hand. His eyes continue glowing as before, when suddenly the buckle, becomes a bastard sword, which he thrusts into the air and bellows, "I AM THE YIN MONKEY MASTER!" Ron was suddenly enveloped in azure blue flames. Ron pointed the Blade at Buffy, "BUFFY ANN SUMMERS, IS THE YANG MONKEY MASTER!," came another bellow.

Abruptly a golden yellow ray of light shot from the tip of the blade straight at Buffy. She could feel the light strike like a physical blow. The ray swathed her in the power of yang itself, felt warmth, and safety, as she closed her eyes. Buffy was in pure bliss, when she opened her eyes to find herself ten feet off the ground. She was lowered to the ground and walked to her cousin. The only word she could come up with when she reached him was, "Wow!" Buffy and Ron, could feel the Mystical Monkey Power coursing through their souls, what's more they could feel each other. As if, they were as much a part of each other, as an arm or a leg. They could feel the other's heart beat within their chests, as well as other things that were distinctly male or female. They were perfectly aware of their own bodies, but it was as if they understood what it was like to be the _opposite_ gender.

Their euphoria was cut short, when they heard a groan coming from the canyon below them. "We need to take care of this guy and get back to Xander and Willow, before Gill decides to take his anger out on them. So, what can we do to end its suffering?"

Ron looked around and spotted a huge oak tree, that had to weigh at least 10 tons, and had to be 5-feet in circumference at the base. He waved her to follow him over to it, and they went behind it. The next thing that could be heard was wood, creaking and groaning, as the literally pushed the great goliath over as easily as most could push over a sapling. Ron set to work with the sword chopping the base of the trunk down into a point. Then the massive wooden stake lifted into the air, and began to move the column toward the canyon, they reached it then closing their eyes, and say together, "Rest in Peace, monster may Yahweh bless your passing." Then raising their stake, …

Out in the lake…

There was a loud boom, followed by a roar of pain, another boom which cut off the roar immediately. Gil was making his way, in the water to find his friend when he heard it, and it shocked him. _How? How could he lose to the squeeb and the bimbo, he was bigger than they were combined?_ Then narrowing his fish eyes, Gil swam back the way he came, until he came out of the water right in front of the two humans he had immobilized earlier.

They looked at him with a little fear, but did not seem shocked, as if they faced threats like this all the time. He came up to them with a swagger, "It seems those other two you call friends have run off and left you, like the cowards they are."

Xander began laughing and even the girl looked amused, "If that's what you think then you obviously haven't been in Sunnyvale that long."

"Come on there's no possible way for Stoppable and the bimbo to beat, my buddy he is way too large for anybody to mess with."

Gill felt a tap on his shoulder, and whirled around to come eye to golden eye with a pissed off woman. "Who're your calling a bimbo, fly breath?" The last they saw of Gil, he was flying over the dam into the spill way, courtesy of one Mystical Monkey, Slayer Master.

Ron and Buffy, waste no time removing the slime from their friends, and after telling them a little of what happened leaving very little, they continue to enjoy the rest of their day. That night Buffy got the call from her Watcher to return straightaway to town, the police had found the bodies of five new mothers. The bodies were drained of all their blood, and the infants were missing.


	6. Training and Revelations

MM & VS

Training and Revelations

The minute they returned to town, the first thing they did was return the grill, and food to the Summers home. Changed into regular outfits and proceeded to the museum. Buffy's mom was not home, they found her at the museum with Giles. As soon as they entered, she stood and hugged her daughter and nephew. "So, how was the trip, did anything exciting happen?"

Xander smirked, "Not a lot actually, had a meal, went swimming, made conversation, got attacked by two amphibious monsters that seemed to have a hate-on for your nephew, and Buffy became a mystical monkey master, a pretty boring if truth be told. How 'bout you two, did you have an enjoyable, peaceful, teenless day?"

Giles and Joyce's eyes could not get any wider, the onslaught of information laid upon them by the young man, took them entirely by surprise. They both took a deep breath and asked for a more thorough explanation about the last two items Xander mentioned. Thus, Buffy and Ron told them, everything that transpired yesterday, from the attack by Gil, to Buffy becoming the Mystical Monkey Slayer. Giles asked Buffy, if she felt any different, since acquiring of MMP and amazingly, she not only felt great but at peace as if the Shadow Demon were truly content with the new addition.

"Well, that is quite the development," Giles concluded, "the Slayer's already substantial power, fused as it were to the Yang half of Mystical Monkey Power."

Joyce was curious, "why did you choose to give it to your cousin and not your girlfriend, Kim?" So, Ron told them the criteria for choosing a bond mate.

After a short silence, it was Willow who brought them to the reason they were summoned home sooner than expected. "Anyway, why did you call us back home, we were supposed to be gone for the whole weekend?" Willow shuddered, "Are there really five missing babies, and dead mothers?"

Giles turned grim and Joyce became troubled when they nodded, "Yes, all within the span of hours from each other, at least that was official report. It was on the news last night, while we were watching a television movie." Giles pounded his hand on the table, and continued, "One of the victims was a dear friend of mine, one of the social studies teachers, Lara Dreyer," Joyce reached across the table laying her hand over his, when he looked up and returned the squeeze, "other than whatever the news reports say, we know less than nothing about the crime scenes, and I have no way of gaining access to them."

Ron's face was utterly serious and borderline dangerous, when he marched over to Giles and laid his hand on the elder man's shoulder, "Don't worry professor G, we'll find the evil sonavabitch that's doing this, and send 'em back to Hell where they belong." Giles looked up at the newest addition to the Slayer family, Ron was certain they could do this, the look on his face was a mixture of wrath and determination. "The first thing we're going to need is information starting with your friend. I assume that if you're friends with her, you're at least close to her husband, do you thank you could talk to him, he might open more to a friend than he will to strangers? Meanwhile, I'll get a hold pf the coroner and forensics reports, from the Dreyer's and the other crime scenes." They all blinked, especially the Summers, the way he described the activities for investigating the crimes, made it seem like he had done something like this before.

Xander was the first to break the silence, "How are we going to get the forensics and coroner's reports, those type of things are for official use only? There is no way, the cops will let a bunch of teenagers, look at that kind of evidence."

Ron smiled as he pulled out his Kimmunicator, "All forensic reports are required to be filed with the FBI within twenty-four hours after completion. Coroner's reports have to be filed with the county medical examiner, and these days they all use computers for expedience,"

This time Willow chimed in to play devil's advocate, "That's true but those files are heavily encrypted and protected by massive firewalls that would take a Supercomputer days, if not weeks to crack, unless we have a passkey there's no way to get at those files. How are you going to get in let alone open the files?"

Ron's smile took on a devious cast, "That's probably all true, but I have never heard of a computer system, that my eleven-year-old super-genius computer hacker friend Wade, couldn't crack open like an egg." Ron activated the communication device and brought up his young friend's image, sipping soda from a slurpster, and wearing of all things a Hawaiian shirt, and in what looked like a hotel room. "Yo, Wade, how's your summer going?"

The young, agoraphobic, computer genius grumbled, "My parents won a free trip to Hawaii over the summer, since I am a minor they couldn't leave me behind at home so I am being forced to use portable computer systems to do my work."

Ron looked a little deflated, "Ah, man, that's too bad, I was hoping you could do me a favor, but if you're not at your desk you may not…" Ron stopped when he heard Wade's laughter. "What's so funny, dude?"

"Ron my _portable_ capabilities, are better than NASA, JPL, and Pentagon mainframes combined, being away from my main computer won't handicap me, one little bit from my usual _Wadeness_ , so what do you need me to do?"

Ron told Wade about all the deaths and missing babies, and Wade's own eyes mirrored Ron's a few moments ago. "I'm on it Ron, I'll get back to you with what I can get, Wade out." Ron turned back to the others, they all had expressions ranging from mild shock to impressed.

Giles and Joyce got up and walked over to the young man. His aunt spoke up, "officially as your guardian I am very disappointed in you for breaking the law by having your friend hack into government computers. Unofficially if it were any of my girls I would want you to do the same thing, so instead of sounding like a hypocrite and raising a fuss I am going to do one thing." So, saying she enfolded him into a strong hug, and lightly smacked the back of his head.

Giles continued, "Ron as an educator I also must officially protest your actions and set a better example for you." Ron turned from his aunt's hug to look at him, "Unofficially," Giles stuck his hand out, and Ron took it, and shook his hands, "Thank you."

Ron blushed, before turning around, "Right, until Wade can get back to me, and Giles can talk to his friend, Buffy and I need to do some training, and figure out the full extent of our abilities and limitations."

Buffy nodded her agreement, "I think so, too. Where do we start though, Giles said the last Monkey Masters were 600 years ago? How will we train, if we don't know how they accessed their abilities?"

Ron walked over to his cousin fingers on chin, "Maybe we should start with the basics, like accessing the power at will, I've had mine for a while and it took me a whole month to be able to do that."

* * *

Ron and Buffy, began training to be monkey masters. They started with Ron teaching her to access the power, by learning to meditate. Yet, they discovered that calming the mind did not work for Buffy. The power of yang is positive, activity whether an active mind or active body. Accordingly, instead of clearing her mind, Buffy meditated by actively thinking about something constructive, and suddenly, she was in her mind. It looked like an extremely wide corridor, with doors every few feet. /\ Ron could do it using the techniques taught to him by the ninja if Yamanouchi.

Buffy stepped through one of them and met a matronly Asian woman, wearing an ivory, white yukata trimmed in black. Even to Buffy she was a beautiful, woman at least in her thirties, satin, black straight hair, and dark eyes. "Who are you," Buffy asked? /\ "You're Toshimiru the founder of Yamanouchi," Ron said in shock, before kneeling to the ground.

"My name is Viewed From The City Gentle Blossom (Toshimiru Yuuka), I am the last yang monkey master, before you of course. I am here to act as your guide, to aid you in using your power the right way", she said. /\ "Stand, Ron Stoppable, for equals need not kneel before each other, they shake hands," the ancient warrior declared, extending his hand to Ronald Michael Stoppable. "Welcome Lotus Warrior, for you carry the burden of two legacies: Mystical Monkey Power and the Lotus Blade."

"What was your relation to your yin /\ yang partner", Buffy /\ Ron asked?

"I was the daughter of one of them, Viewed From The City Land (Toshimiru Riku), and elder sister of the other, Viewed From The City Great Harmony (Toshimiru Yamato), before I fell to intrigue in the southern court of Osaka", the woman said, although the sound was there, her lips seemed to move independently of the sound coming from them, as if her words did not match her mouth. Honestly this all sounded like those old Asian martial art films where the dubbing was out of synch. /\ "My onēsan, Toshimiru Yuuka was the yang master, after her childless death, there were no others to carry on the legacy and due to a childhood illness, I was unable to produce children. We were the last of the Toshimiru clan, and due to the requirements of the power there were no successors for yin or yang," the founder of Yamanouchi replied as clear as a bell, since Ron Stoppable spoke flawless Japanese.

"Great, my name is Buffy Summers, and I am the cousin of the yin master, Ron Stoppable, is there anything you would like to know about me, Ms. Yuuka?" /\ My cousin, Buffy Summers, is the yang master, and what the hell is the Lotus Warrior," Ron exclaimed?

"No, actually I already know everything about you, I have even met the demon that resides within your soul, we are getting to be quite close", Yuuka answered with a giggle. /\ Toshimiru Yamato chuckled, "Lotus Warriors are the silent protectors of the world, they protect the world but shy away from canonization or recognition. You work with Kim Possible to protect the world, and you are her equal partner in all of it, yet you have never sought recognition."

Buffy smirked, "great the MMP and the Shadow Demon are dating", she remarked. /\ Ron's face became seriously dangerous, "Hey Kim doesn't seek recognition for it either, she is just so good at helping people," he whispered acidly.

"No, we are not dating, I am only here temporarily until you learn how to use your power. Afterwards, I will finally pass from this plane of existence, the yin master is experiencing the same thing from the previous yin master". /\ Toshimiru held up a hand, "I am in NO way condemning Kim Possible for the recognition she so richly deserves. She inspires others to be as selfless as she is, I KNOW Miss Possible does not seek out her fame, the world seeks her out, it _needs_ heroes like her. It also **needs** heroes like us who work behind the scenes, and in the shadows, you are as much the yin to Kim Possible's yang, as you are the yin monkey master to the yang monkey master."

Buffy nodded, "we need to get started, I have a feeling Ron and I will need to be fully trained when we figure out who is killing mothers and stealing the babies." /\ "I am sorry, Yamato, for biting you head off, but Kim is the one who gives me strength and reason to be a hero," Ron says contritely.

For this reason, Buffy and Ron began training with their respective avatars for the next rest of the month of June. While each had the same physical capabilities, could communicate with natural non-human creatures, and detect supernatural creatures. They could also, teleport, with a flash of light, or well of darkness, anywhere they could see, whether across the room or across town, they even went to see Kim and give her a big hug, or a passionate kiss, before returning to Buffy's room one morning when they were talking on the Kimmunicator. However, some of their more esoteric abilities were slightly different.

Buffy, the yang, Mystical Monkey Master, can see clearly through fog or smoke and nearly dark rooms with just a birthday candle's worth of light, and Buffy had no need for telescopes or microscopes. The physical attributes of the Slayer, were phased out by the Shadow Demon, since the Monkey Power versions eclipsed them. The Slayer's powers allow her to sense unseen enemies, and even gave her prophetic dreams. The extra energy from the physical abilities, was channeled to heighten her precognitive abilities to not only conscious levels, but to sensory levels. Whenever she went out on patrol her precognitive senses combined with her unseen senses to act an early warning system, and gave her inhuman reflexes whenever she needed them.

Ron, the yin, Mystical Monkey Master, could see in pitch darkness, obfuscate his entire body, distort any sounds, and all physical traces of his body were eliminated upon leaving his body. The Lotus Warrior could while maintaining contact with the Lotus Blade, become unnoticeable to any beings he chose, all five senses of the observer registered the Lotus Warrior, yet his or her mind refused to record his presence, and the Lotus blade could kill ANYTHING with a corporeal vessel. The only thing he could not hide from was the touch of time, which allowed his cousin to detect him if she concentrated enough, and paid attention to her senses.

Buffy jumped into a spinning round house, aiming right for her opponent's head. Who bent his head just barely noticing, and grabbed her leg giving it a twist, to spin her to the ground. Buffy added her own momentum to the twist, which removed her leg from his grasp. She dropped to a crouch, and lunged for his chest. Ron allowed her to make contact, and in that moment connected with a right cross to Buffy's body, and tried to follow it up with a knee to the stomach. Buffy let out a breath on contact and the energy of her lunge, caused the blow to lessen, while continuing to carry her forward, knocking him to the ground. She landed with her knees and entire body pressing down into Ron's chest. All the air was driven out of Ron's chest, and he gasped. "Well, cuz that's two times out of three today that I took you to the ground, that means I win the match, and get to choose what you cook for us tonight for supper." Ron was chagrinned but nodded accepting his defeat with honor.

A month had passed since the five murders and five missing babies, and they were no closer to figuring out who the culprit could be. Fortunately, whomever it was had not struck again, they were not even certain it remained in Sunnyvale. To pass the time Ron and Buffy were training their fighting skills by sparring in the Summers' backyard. The mystical monkey power granted them some great gifts, but they did not want to rely too heavily on esoteric abilities, and forget the basics. So, with the encouragement of Giles and their mmp avatars they began sparring in the backyard. They were evenly matched in martial skills, they sometimes used powers, other times not, and to make it interesting, whomever succeeded in knocking their opponent down the most, got to pick what they had for dinner.

* * *

Wade got the forensics and coroner's reports to them within a week, and Giles together with Joyce talked to his friend, the husband of Lara Dreyer and gained details the police were not sharing with the public. The crime scenes were remarkably similar to Raymond Dreyer's home: the infants were missing; the mothers had their throats cut and were hung over the bathtub to allow their blood to drain into it; and, scales from, a _snake_ , the same snake, were found in the drains of all the bathtubs. There was no doubt, they were searching for something supernatural, so Giles, Willow and even Wade began to research myths involving snake or serpents, even dragons were included, since many legends give them snake-ish characteristics.

There are myths and legends about snakes, serpents, and dragons to be found in every culture around the world. From Europe and Western Culture, dragons and serpents are associated with the devil, in the East, dragons could be good or evil, but were considered wise either way. Pre-Columbian civilizations like Mayans, Incas and Aztecs have carvings of the heads of a snake-like creature on temples and pyramids. In legends where the presence of snakes are incidental, such as the two snakes sent by Hera to slay the toddler Heracles, only for the godly strength of the child to strangle both snakes in his crib. Then Giles had an epiphany and went back to check something in the forensic files, after confirming his suspicions he called his young friends and Joyce over to his table. "Over here, ladies and gentlemen, I believe I have identified the monster responsible for all of this. It is far worse than we have believed, if I am right, and pray I am not."

"Thank you for the buildup, Rupert, now would you please spare us the suspense," Joyce Summers said gently, "tell us who you suspect."

Giles looked up, "Lilith," he said at a near whisper, "it is Lilith the Serpent of Eden, and if it is her we can cease looking for the infants."

Xander grinned, and said, "I think I speak for everyone in this room when I ask you who this Lilith chick is," he said before looking at the other's faces. When he did, he was surprised that he was the only person in the room, who did not have a face of recognition and fear. They knew who Lilith was, or at least her legend.


	7. Who is Lilith?

Monkey Master and the Vampire Slayer

Who is Lilith?

 _Lilith's memories_

 **In the beginning...**

 _Before the dawn of civilization, God created humans, man and I, born of the dust of the Earth, that we may reproduce and multiply, and become custodians of the Earth that God formed from the heavens. God joined the First Man and I, in holy matrimony which no creature in Heaven or Hell may cast asunder. The man, Adam was lazy and refused to do anything that God asked, the woman Lilith,_ me _on the other hand was the dutiful daughter, and did all the work and named all the animals and plants that existed. Adam in addition to being lazy, opportunistic and a liar, and quite pathetic, fawned over God and took credit for all my work. While I would be toiling out in the Earth doing as God bid, Adam would proclaim at how easy the work He had given us and how it took very, little time to do the tasks God made us to accomplish. God was not fooled by Adam's words as He could listen to the essence of Adam's soul, and know the truth._ Of course, it was easy for him, he did not do anything!

 _As dutiful as I was, there was one practice I refused to do even at the request of my God, "Please forgive me Lord, but I would give myself to the beasts of the field, or Devils of Hell, than submit to this pathetic creature known as a man. I shall never allow any being, born of man to lay so much as a finger upon me." I refused to submit to the touch of the man called Adam, and therefore mankind would have never been if God had not separated me from the First Husband. God, placed Adam in the garden of Eden, a sanctuary outside of time, and removed his memories of being on Earth._

 _While I remained on Earth and toiled, Adam lived in Paradise for an unknown amount of time. I became embittered with God, that He would reward Adam for laziness by keeping him in Paradise, while I continued my work as a dutiful daughter and ignore my hardships and pleas for help. While I was angry with God, I still loved Him, but my hatred of the creature called man, grew until it consumed me. I did as I vowed and out of loneliness coupled with the Devils of Hell, and became the Mother of all demons._

 _God decided to recreate woman, so causing Adam to sleep and taking genetic material from Adam, He created Eve to be Adam's companion. At some point, I found a way to enter Eden, by transforming into a serpent and slithering through a gap that only God must surely have known about. Why He allowed it I will never know, but I came upon Adam and Eve as they coupled. Adam and I were separated, yet I still considered him, my husband and even if I coupled with devils and bore their demon offspring, I was still Adam's wife. I plotted my vengeance against Adam and Eve, and learned of the only rule the Almighty had while in Eden._

 _I was the serpent in the garden of Eden that enticed Eve into disobeying God's Commandment not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I was the catalyst for the Fall of Man, the bible tells it wrong. While God was angry with me, He did not curse me as it says, that is just Adam's in ability to accept responsibility for his actions. Yet, my vengeance is not over, for I made another vow to God. I vowed to set my children loose upon humanity, and personally prey upon the children of Adam and Eve, every boy less than eight days old and every girl less the twelve would be my only sustenance. With the blood of the mothers I would be rejuvenated, my youth and vitality restored, and no man would ever slay me._

* * *

Xander Harris, the only guy in the original 'Scooby Gang' as he has taken to calling the group of people, that he considers closer to him than his family. While he once harbored a genuine crush for the vampire slayer, now Buffy and Willow are like sisters to him. He looks around and notices the expressions on all faces, and realizes they knew something he did not. Only a few minutes ago, they had reached a hypothesis concerning the identity of the one who has been taking babies, and killing their mothers. They called this monster, Lilith, Serpent of Eden, and when they reached realized who this thing was they seemed to take it hard.

The expressions on his friends faces ranged from astonishment and downright fear. "Okay, you all, spill," Xander demanded. "Who is this Lilith person, and why does she have you all so frightened."

It was Ron Stoppable who answered, "Lilith is the Hebrew version of the boogie man, Xan." Ron began scratching his head nervously, "When I was little, my mom and dad, would use the name Lilith to get me to do the right thing."

Xander nodded understanding at the standard parental practice of using monsters to get compliance out of willful toddlers, "So, what kind of demon is she?"

"She is not a demon, Xander," Giles answered, "she is pure human. She is actually the first female human, God brought forth upon the Earth. Some even believe she evolved before Adam."

Xander's eyes popped, "Wasn't that Eve?"

Giles continued, "That is the myth perpetuated in the Bible, but the truth is Eve was Adam's second wife. Lilith was his first, and according to the legend, they were still married when Eve was created in the Garden of Eden." Giles began to tell the story, "The legend dictates that Lilith refused to mate with Adam, because he wanted her to be submissive to him. The reasons why vary, but what is known is Adam was taken to the Garden of Eden, where God caused Adam to sleep and the rest is as the bible reads.

"Lilith is the mother of the demon race, and has power over even the most powerful demonic entities. She is not a loving mother however, with no qualms or even hesitation about destroying her children." Giles continued his tone going from lecturing to barely held anger, "Her only sustenance is the children of Adam and Eve, human infants, boys no older than eight days old, girls no more than twelve. That is why I went to look at the forensics report, I was checking their ages, all of them fell within the age criteria." Joyce's hand found his and she took it and held it.

"I wonder, why she strings up the mothers of her victims," Buffy asked, studiously ignoring the intimate gesture between her mother and her Watcher. "She drains them of all the blood, but not for sustenance like vamps, she drains them into the tub, I wonder why?"

"It could be anything Buffy," Willow offered, "there are lots of demons and classes of demons that require blood to make themselves more powerful."

Ron nodded in agreement, "Hell, the demon that creates vampires is a prime example of bloodthirsty fiend." Ron shook his head, "maybe, Lilith was the one that taught her 'kids' the value of human blood?"

Xander was the one who asked the next question, "Okay, now that we think we know what we're dealing with we need, to confirm our theory, and figure out how to kill or at least stop her."

* * *

Gill swam through the canals of the catacombs below. While many of the tunnels were dry, flooding, underground springs and flow from the Sunnyvale Reservoir created a few places for creatures such as, the frogman to traverse without being spotted. Gill coursed through the water easily his eyes peeled for danger and refuge.

He came to an open area lit with torches, which was more than enough for Gill's fish eyes see. It was a huge room filled with water, double the size of the train station. It had pillars that arched up to the apex looking for all the world like a cathedral. There was a stage with steps running out of the water, and on it was of all things a _living room_. That was the best word he could use to describe a divan sofa, with a coffee table, with comfortable looking chairs at both ends, and a regular leather couch across from the divan.

Gill heard an audible splash in the distance, and whirled around to face the sound. He felt something brush against his leg, below the surface. Gill drove below the surface, and before he knew it he was enveloped within the coils of a snake so big it could have easily ensnared the body of his dead friend. Gill struggled to escape but the grip was inexorable, only one thought bubbled to the surface before blackness over took him. _Damn you, squeeb, I'll see you in Hell._


End file.
